Grille blade and cross-bar assembly



March 26, 1935. L. B. GREEN I I GRILLE BLADE AND CROSS BAR ASSEMBLY Filed Oct. 4, 1934 'G FL E 'A D" RQ SS-BAR-AssENIBLY 3 Lee- BaGreen, Lakewood, 6l1io, ass ignor;to 'Ihe I I: V I p Globe Machine dzfitamping Company Cleve v v I laindgQhio, a or omtiq romq,.; I a 1 V Applieation October 4,1934; 'SerialNo. 746,873

fisci img (C1, 293- 5451] My invention relatesto netal grilles ofth e class in which U-sectioned ahdfgenerally parallel blades are connected to; "each fjother j'by crossmembers; which cross-members may"'be"both grille-end members connecting "end portions'foi the blades, and intermediate cross m'embers con-i nesting parts of the blades spacedfro n'the end members; f

Genera'lly'speakin'g} y invention-aims to'pro 1 0 vide 'a simple and inexpensiveconstruction of metal cross-member's which will permit u-sec tion'ed metal blades to be anchored securelyto these cross-members" by "speedy and inexpensive operations without requiring theiproviding of any slots, tabs or other anchoring provisionsf'on the ladies; and also aims to provide a cross-member constructionior this purpose'whi'ch will be equallyadvantageous for the end bars by which such a grille usually supported, and for either plain or bead-ornamented intermediatecross-bars.

In modernjpassenger automobiles, itflh'as become quite customary 'to'guardthe frontal air-l admitting aperture in the so-called radiator shell by a metal grille consisting of generally parallel blades having their end portions 'eo'nnectedby cifoss-members (commonly f called end bars) which are fastened to, andconcealed by; portions of the front of the radiator shell. For'suohsopresented ,co'nvex U,backs andpbecause-vof the thin sheet steeL'Qj However, the U-section whieh affor'dsfthe just recited advantages has the disadvantage oi mak ing it difiicult to fasten such'blailes inexpensivelyl to thenendme'm'bers offthe grille, sincefthe'end portion of eaehbladelusually"had'tobe deformed I to present a flattened partjwhich then could be welded or brazedto an endiin'ember'l Stitch-weld ing'operations add considerably to' the manuiam turing' cost of the grille, and the difiiculty of am viding the needed,,lolade-end, deformations has 1 may heen'increa'sed by the desii'efor quite nar-V row blades,as for example; U -sectioned blades Moreovenl the" heretofore employed ;methods of; securing intermediate, cross rnernhers to U se ctionedblades have limited the ipositi'oning'of such ir es-e m i with? heathen; e mpl a blades extending acrossthe said, aperture; these I called automobile radiator, grillesfi' sheet metal; blades of a rearwardly, open U-section have proven particularly advantageous; both; loecaufsc'ej of the finished appearance of their rsr armyj v1 strength and rigidity which ,a U- formatioh as, v fords even when, the blades are 'jmade quite.

i with a clear spacing of less than'three-thii tya seconds'of an inchbetweenthe blade, webs. 7 h 7 having an ornamentin'gQm olding," sleeved on't jconstruction) could" not extend .in tront' of the I blad'esito afiordeonspicuous Vcrossrbareffects' for enhancinglthe appearance 10f the'grilleg Generaliy'speaking', I overcome all fi-thejabove recited limitations of. the heretoiore 'customa ify H metal grille constructions by providing cross},- members leaoh' lof which presents itwo parallel weh s',"which webs have alined slots through which the hladesjcan readily'be slid, and'b'y thereafter anchoring each blade tdeachcross-member by an expeditious deforminglof the portionsoi the pladeiwebswhich are disposed between the said two parallel (web's on each cross-member. Th'en,

byotherwisejvaryingthe'cross inernbersl adapt lis aifra'gmentary full-lengthfperspective f a flat-fronted grille of rectah ular' shape v em 111g all featuresofmyinvention; h i

fj g. is an enlargedrear elevation of the pper I portiohof'thesan e grille. r

Fig; 331s, anlenlarged rear perspective view of la nof jthejuppergrille part shownin Fig'.2. i I

s'is ajhorizoritalseetion takenjalongthe 1 I '-+-4 qiFig;3. v

isljan enlarged-v perspective view of a porupper end member ofithe'grille, j; i V g6is a'n enlarged'side elevation of theupper portion fofthegrille;.i

. Fig. {7 is anenlargedvie'wof the part ofia V allel ebs of a one of the ('iro ss-vmernbers, sh'o how ladc was deiormed'to anchor it.

enlarged perspective v ewer theitip deformlng.

9 isan enlarged perspective vie'wfoif apor- 7 end member in Fig. ,1, 7

v Fig. 10 is a fragmentary plan viewof 'tlie rnetal, 3 blank" from which the cross-rnember offFig, Was" 5 iormedgdravm' on'aismaller'scale, I v p Fig-111s an enlarged side elevation o f 'the mid height portion ofFig. 1; showing a cross-membe c ive '.pertures,whichjhave bowediupp'er and; lower- 0 whi'eh eiitjendsfthroughfand .beyondfthe'two par- 1 n1 a punch suitable' for efifec'ting of-a 1' unornamented intermediatejcrossf- M riiemher, such as th one next below the upper- V 5 v Fig. 14"is,a similarly taken vertical section these websand less than the spacingd between' through a part of a V-sectioned-lower end memthe perforated webs 1 and 2 ofjthe end-member;

" 1 {webs of an end member, and also through the t which the lower end member is an'inverted coun-" 1 of the other o'ne; This inner angle iron has its horizon't' eb 2 iof weath r angleironby a dis .the maximum "diameter or the blade-entering clearpsp'aeings's between the parallel .websof the L.

f Ihe'upright web 3 of the mnerangle'hieme [3'0 example by spot welds, one of which is indicated 7 also have overlappingextension ears, suchlas the n spanned'bythe blades of thegrille.

"each of whichq-perforations has its bore corree Toenhance thehrigidity ofthe fastening orthe blades, these perforations infe'ach of the said hor- "-5 perforations in the two horizontalwebsil 'and' 2, tw shown respectively, above the mid-height For this purpose ldesirably employ exposed in front of theblades'(as-shownin'Fig,'1)i

r amaXin 1uin diameter" mewhat smaller "thanthe sam mann r a above d sc ib V i andjbends that web portion about the'iadjacent' 65 ;longitudinaliedge of the slot Pg; Consequently,

r 99 047 v o r I V V V V of an upwardly bowed upper end'rnember, taken The maximumpdiameter of the part" of the in a plane parallel to the riser webs of that mempunch which is thus forcibly inserted between the her and intersecting the perforations in the two webs of-a blade vnecessarilymust: be greater --;spaced webs; 1 than the-maximumspacings (Fig; 2) .between ber. r v and ifr these' blade webs were notv connected by.

Figy-l 5 is a iverticalsection taken alon g th e the U-back' of theblade, theinserting of the punch between. them'would draw additional poi; tions of these blade webs into thespace between the twojwebs' of the cross-member. V "Howevergthe U -back of the blade does not permit this,so that ftherinitially' flat bladeweb portionsbetween the' two webs of the end member arestretched to the 7 rear edges of blades and through both perforated 7 punch used for bowing these'webs apart,1showingthe resulting curving of the blades: with a rela-'- i tively widerspacing of the said perforated webs than that shown in Figs. 2, 3and;6.' 15 In Figs. 1 to 6, the upper 'endmembe'r iot' When thethickness .of the blade webs'is pro-Y 'portioned to their spread approximately as here terpart) consists of two angle irons each present- V V t V illustrated, I have found'it' desirable to make-the ing one horizontal web and one vertical web,rone of the anglej'rons being disposed within the angle i the end member at? least;2 /2' time'sth'e' clear spacing S between the, blade webs and to have horizontal web 1 freelyspaced' upwardly from the r ,tance WhICh fOI reasons hereafter recited,'is de-' port of the punchnot more than twice the latter V sir'ably approximately one half larger than the spacing, By doing so; Icau'seeach deformed web portion to recu'rve at each end, as'showninFi'gs', 2and L j t In, other, Words, by having'the spacing between is, rigidly fastened to the inward. face of the: upthe perforated webs ofith'e end" member consider ably exceed the sum of the maximum'diameter' of the punch and the .joint thickness 'offthe two blade'webs, "I avoid producing sharp bends in these blade webs, which would unduly' weakenx rand-"might even tear'these webs However, I have alsofound that with the same size or uncn and the. same bladefwebs I can secure. arigid anchoring when the spacing between the perforated webs of the end'member is asrmich'as four times the said clear spacings betweenthe u sectionedbladesiB of the grille. v I

right ,web 4I'of the outer; angle member, as for f atEW in Figy3l Both 'of 'the uprightl websmay' ear 5" of "Fig.1, 'for receivingbolts fastening the end. member totheradiator'sheH front (or other apertured member) which is to have its perturer Jhe horizontal (and thereforelparallel) webs l 1and2 of the end member are provided with alined -perf orations pP"of counterpartsize-and spacing, websof a blade, aslin F 'i g. 16.

- I sponding to the 'cross sectional exterior'contour blades 'toan end member, I may, also disposethe of one of the blades; and presenting its semi- .w o ations'so that thoselint p cylindrical end toward the riserjjwebs of the end web'l of theinner angle member have their bowed member: I'Mcreover for 'use' with copa'rallel web 3 of ,that member (as'shown in. Fig. filthe'reizont'a-lwebshave their longer axes A paralleljto by causing the UFback's of the blades t ar' 7 "each. other and' have their semi-cylindricalends gequallylgspaced fromthe' adjacent'upright'web. "I member as shown in Figs. 13 and 6.';' H 4 v 7 4' After eachiblad'e has been slid throu ghalined F 1 unornamented cross-membersZsuch-a's the" (ornamented) cross-member in Fig. '1, I desirably employ the single-piece construction of-Fig; sin

which the two horizontal webs 8 and 9 are cone nectedtoeach otherbyj a'riserlwebilo which is 7 each blade presents laterally opposite portions of its two U -websjbetween'the said horizontalwebs} "anfd l then bow-th'ese jblade' webI from eachbthenas'shown'in Fig.

" a n 'run h ar q ection mdlot' after thebladeshave'been anchoredto'itin m -c1ea spacer (Figg 2 etween the superposed webs zanaz ftheadjacent end bar, this'punch 1 having arounded; tipas in JFig. 8 When such a V 3 punch-is' inserted forcibly between the saidlaterally oppositeportions of the two webs of ablade; ,the fpunch distends eachof theseflweb' portions" r o a n new 'of the L l-back 10 can be ethe part of a blade which extends through 'the ject forwardly beyond blades, v superposed "websl and Zis'deformed (as shown For a more. ornamental effect," the 1 se iaar'ately in Fig. 7 )Qto presentbowed-apart web' ,back of suchla cross-member may be inade wi t I If portions b between :the sloif ted Webs of the than-the distancebetweentheoppositely-direct 70 adjacent end'ine'mber, and the upper andlower; 'faces of;the perforated websf'8"and,,9 and this parts b and. "Z2 of each such :bowed blade-web channel -backlloafcan then have its side edge porportionafiords shouldersbearing respectively up tions l0b"recur.v edfand merging into the wards-against theuppe lotted 'web 1 andrdo whs portions of thezch helwebs Band 9 as ard gainstthezlower' lotted web 2 of 'the'end Figs ..11and '1 Y i Aft'er th blades have b g eater length needed for bowin them/a a 15 or clear spacin d between, the tperfvoratedjwebs vb i-vi 3 endsv tangential to-theinward face of theris'er v against'jthe said riser web 3 oi the innerangle r thevextent to whic this oss-mernber wi1l proT e ase-memb r, (or? ev n; after the entire; grille has otherwise been assembled and painted) a..;rear- Hardly slittedt ubu ar t rnamentina member c n fiiislid'i over- :the .vfo'rward nortf .nf of t is cross- .memb r Suchj npmamentingbead or mol in h wnat lziin. Fi s, .11 and ll, maybe oflchrome- ,platedori stainless steel to contrastwith a, darker finishgof thebodyrportion of the cross-member.

, Whenacross-m mber isthustobeornamented j perforations. ,in'b'oth' webs of each ofthe cross:

(and also effectively widened) by an attached molding the perforations P in each web 8 and}; of; this; member have; their forward endsvspaced' suffi nfly rearward from the. recurved po t s lohof;thechannel-back10a asto permit therecurved parts, of the slittedmolding ,to bedis.-

posed between the said recurred, portions 1.011 and the forwardedgesof the blades 1 v v In practice,icrossrmembersgot the above describ d; hree. ypes namelyy end '-member simple channel members, and bead orna'mented' channel members-can all beusedfor crosse-connecting the bladesofgasingle grille, if all of these types have similarlyqspaeed perforated webs all provided with alinedperforations slidably fitting theblades. Moreover; the spacing between such cross-memberscanreadily be varied as desired, as also the spacings between theperforations P; and the same gang, punches can be usedforformingv the perforations in the websof members of thmedifierenttypes. v

Sincethe, blades are firmly gripped; by the side walls of theperforations in both of the super:-

nosed webs of each here disclosedcross-member, h

thisjgripping also prevents th'ei saidwebsf from 1 flexing either toward. or ,awaygfrom each. other,

end member as'bowed upwardly to a, counterpart curvature, so that the perforations ineach web canbe formed with thesamega punch; Fig, 14::showspart of a lower endmember in which he:'S1lpQIDQ$ed-,.WebS 23and-24 are bentifiatwis x to av-sectiona also, :the cross-sectional shape of each web perforation? can readily be varied to correspond, to the exterior cross-section of the selected blades,

and obviously many other changes might be made without departing either from the spirit of my invention or from the appended claims. I claim as my invention: I 1. A metal grille comprising a plurality of parallel substantially upright blades of generally counterpart U-section, and aplurality of vertically spaced and rigid cross-members extending transversely of the said blades; each crossmember including two vertically spaced horizontal webs; both webs of each of the several crossmembers being provided with alined perforations each having a bore section corresponding to the peripheralcontour of a blade, and each blade extendingthrough alined perforations in both webs of the cross-members; the portions of the two U-webs of each blade which are disposed between the two webs of each cross-member being bowed away from each other and presenting shoulders engaging the opposed faces of the said two webs.

21 An upright metal grille comprising a plurality of vertically spaced cross-members, each horizontal; webs, and, a rigid upri'ght web-connect ing portion interposed betweemthesaid: webaell of;the said webfshaving'counterpart; and vertically 'alinedaperforations each of, the saidperforations ,havinggparallel sidewalls of equal length and hay,-

,lindrical; and; Usectioned blades each extending through and; exteriorly, fitting vertically alined members; all, parts of each blade; excepting the blade portions interposed between the two webs of eachfcross-member being of uniform, U -section corresponding to the; bore section, of the said perforations; each of'the saidv-inte pQsedi'blade portions having its U-web parts'bowed away from each other, and each of the saidbowedparts having its-upper and lower portions respectively engaging-the opposed faces; of the two websof the cross-member between which the said bowed partsare interposed. l U I v 3; A metal grille as per claim 1, in which each of the said bowed blade, web portions has a portion thereof of, an exterior curvature :approximating; but not; greater. than, that of. a, cylinder OfxthB diameter corresponding to the spacing be tween the spaced-:webs of the cross-memben.v .4. A grille as per claim 2-, in'which the web-con necting; portion of each vcross-member comprises two webs presenting uprightfaces and extending inthe same direction respectively from thesim: ilarly disposed edges of the said-two webs,'the.fsaidupright-faced webs having overlapping portions thereof extending vertically beyond andone of thefisaid webs, the said overlapping portions;,of the two webs beingsecured to each, other; 1' I' ,5. Inzan upright "metal grille. a bladeeconnecting -member comprising .two' angle-bars.of right-angled section, each angle-bar Presenting one web upright and; the;.otherjweb 1.horizontal; thez-'horizontal webs of thestwo angle bars' being f superposed in spacedlrelation vto each; other and provided with aligned slots of "counterpart; sizes, and the upright webs ofthe two angle bars being secured to. each other; and: U-sectioned blades eachiextending'through alined slots in thesaid- 7 two superposed 'horizontalrwebs, each :blade cor-e responding in peripheral eontoursubstantiallytof the cross sectioh ofxone:of*the said slotsyfthe. 7,

two U-web parts of: each .bladezextending betwee'nthelsaid.horizontalwebs. ofathe .blade-con necting member being bowedapart so thatupper and lower portions of these blade web parts re-- 'spectively engage the opposed facesof the two horizontal webs of the cross-member.

6. A metal grille comprising a' plurality of 1 spaced blades and substantially'co-parallel blades of rearwardly open U-section; and cross-members spaced longitudinally of the blades; each ,crossarm including in rigid formation two spaced webs having perforations alining longitudinally of the blades, each perforation having a bore corre spending to the exterior cross-section of a blade,

tions in the cross-members; the portions of I each two webs of a cross-member being'bowed out of alinement with the parts of the web outside the v i 7:

said webs of the cross-member, and each' such U-web portion having parts thereof bearing re- 70 spectively against the opposed faces of 'the two a webs of the cross-member between which it-is f disposed.

' 7. A metal grille as per claim 6, in which the;

clear spacing between the two webs of each crossmember is approximately between 50 and 100" per- 'angle-sectioned:parts: disposed; one withinthe otherand withtheir section angles opening in :the same direction; the cross-memberhaving contiguous webs of the said twoparts secured to each other; the said contiguous' webs; presenting fiatfaces parallel to the common s'urface' tan'gem,

tialrof the U-backsof 'theblades, and theoth er websof the said; two 'parts'being spaced fromeach other longitudinally of the blades and having their 7 'flat faces transverseof the axes of the blades;

the said other webs having counterpart perforations," and each" blade extending consecutively through two counterpart"perforations in' both 'of thesaid other websof a cross-member; each 1 blade exteriorly fitting the bore of each perfora I 'tjio'n' through which it extends, and the part" of feachu-webiwhich is disposed between; the said two other'webs being a' segment of a tube havin'g I the saidtwo other webs. V j 9; A metal: grille as per U-backs of the portions of each blade which are its: axis transverse of the'fa'ces of thesaid contiguous wvebs; which tubes'egment J has at least a portion thereof engaging the imposed faces of disposed within the angle-of one ofj jthe sald' la'st' named one part of the crossmember.

' 1x10. In a metalvg-rillega cross inember for corn necting a plurality of substantially upright and n n H two 'channetwebsand having its side edges reco-paralle'l .blades' of; counterpart rearwardly thetwo angle-sectionedpartsbeing s'ecuredflat-V 'wise'to each other and thehorizontal webs-ofthe' open eu-s ection comprising two angle-bars, of

unequal height-disposed one within the other, the saidi'angle-bars" having the angles between-V v t e webs openingxin'the; same direction, :and

each having its'two webs extending respectively vertically and horizontally; the vertical webs of said two' parts extending rearwardly from the .said vertical webs and being spaced from "each other by a distance greater than the clearspacing between the U-webs of one of the blades;' the said-two horizontal: webs'having alined perforations each corresponding substantially initsbore area to the exterior cross-sectional 'oontour of 1 a,v

blade. 7

11. A cross-member; 7101;; 1 jafparallel-bladed grille, as per: claim;10, in which each perforationpresents a rounded endtoward the inward f ace of the'vertical web of the inner anglehan 12. A1 cross-member for aparallel-bladed V gril1e,-as' per; claim 10,[, i n which each perforation presents aro'unded endflush with the rearward face of the verticalweboftheinner angle part. :5 13. A cross-member fof connecting a plurality of co-parallel blades of counterpart rearwardly open section, comprising. a channel-sectioned metal member having its channel websprovided with-similarly spaced perforations each of a bore corresponding to the; exterior I cross-sectional contour of one of the blades} the channel-back of the said member beingVwider'than the spacing between theoppositely directed faces of a the said two channel lwebsandfhaving its side edges reportions of the said channel webs.

curved and 'mergin'g respectively into the forward section straddling the said channel-back. I

15. Across-member for connecting-aplurality open section, comprising, achan'nel-fsectioned 14, A blade-connecting cross-member as per claim 13; includingyan orn'amenting moulding-of rearwardly fslittedf tubular nitalmember havingflts'channel webs-provided I parts of the cross-member bear against a? fiat withlsimilarly spacedperforationseach of a bore 7 contour ofl one of the*b1a des, the channel-back of the saidmember being wider than the spacing between theioppositely directed faces of thesaidi curved I and merging respectively "into the f'orward portionsbf thesai'dchannel webs; jand an 1 ornament-mg; moulding of 'rearwardly slitted curved portions of the channel-back of ithat adjacent to the-slit in' the latter'can be disposed 7 between the said recurvedportions'an'da plane tangential-to the forward ends of'ithe pertorations in the channel webs of the saidmemberf f 1 E 13 GREEN. f 1

tubular %sectionfl straddlingthe'said channelback; thesaidperfQrationS in the "channel websv of the said channel-sectioned member being spaced sufiiciently rearward from'thesaid: re a n a 7 member soi-that the'portions of th moulding; 

